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Ohio State Coach Delivers Strong Message About Arch Manning Ahead of Week 1 Matchup

Aug 18, 2025 3:15 PM EDT

The college football season is right around the corner, and the most anticipated Week 1 showdown will take place on Aug. 30 when the Ohio State Buckeyes face the Texas Longhorns.

While Ohio State enters the season fresh off a 2024 national championship, much of the offseason buzz has surrounded Texas, the preseason No. 1 team in the country, with Arch Manning stepping in as the Longhorns’ new starting quarterback.

Ohio State DC Matt Patricia Talks About Manning

With less than two weeks until kickoff, Ohio State coaches met with the media on Monday. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, in his first year with the Buckeyes, offered strong words when asked about Manning.

“Yeah, I’m worried about what his uncles are telling him right now—that’s probably the biggest thing,” Patricia joked, referencing Eli and Peyton Manning. “I got a chance to actually see Arch last summer. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s really athletic. He’s got a very live arm, he can push the ball down the field. He’s a really good player. This is a huge challenge for us, but it’ll be good. It’ll be fun in the ‘Shoe. I’m excited to have our fans out there yelling and screaming, see how he handles all of the pressure of that too.

“I’m sure his uncles, his dad, and his grandfather have pretty much groomed him as a quarterback his entire life. He’s a great kid, he’s a tremendous young man, but that’ll be a big challenge for us. Should be fun.”

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Matt Patricia has certainly seen it all as a defensive coordinator, having faced both Eli and Peyton Manning multiple times during his NFL career, most notably as the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls.

Still, the hype and attention surrounding Arch Manning is nearly unprecedented in recent memory. Despite starting just two games last season as Quinn Ewers’ backup, Manning is already being projected as the Heisman Trophy favorite and is a key reason why Texas entered the year ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Poll.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is seen during warmups ahead of his team's game against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 21, 2024.

That said, making his first career Week 1 start on the road at Ohio Stadium in Columbus is an enormous challenge—and it could be just the first meeting between these two teams this year if they cross paths again in the College Football Playoff with even higher stakes.